Looking across the landscape of contemporary culture

Kolbe’s Gift, 1-5 October 2013, Leicester Square Theatre

Book now for this new production from Ten Ten Theatre. This is from their website:

Kolbe’s Gift is a full-length play written by David Gooderson which tells the story of two men, Fr Maximilian Kolbe, a Franciscan priest, and Franek Gajowniczec, a Polish soldier, whose lives crossed in the most extraordinary way in the Auschwitz concentration camp in 1941. Spanning three decades, Kolbe’s Gift will be produced by Ten Ten Theatre with a cast of seven actors at The Leicester Square Theatre in Central London for one week only in October 2013. With many enriching events surrounding the production, it promises to be a theatrical event not to be missed.

“This place is not simply a concentration camp. It’s a laboratory dedicated to the destruction of human identity. It is the gospel of hate, which can only be defeated by the Gospel of Love.”

A gifted man, Kolbe was the founder of monasteries in Poland and Japan, produced a monthly magazine with a circulation of over one million, and formed an international movement to help bring people to the Catholic faith. Then, a chance encounter with an ordinary soldier, Franek Gajowniczec, led Kolbe to an extraordinary act – walking away from all that he had and could have achieved.

David Gooderson’s powerful play tells the true story of these two men. One became feted across the globe. The other faded into obscurity. This is their story.

Tickets priced from £12.50 – £20.00 can be booked through the theatre box office on 08448 733433 or via their website.

Everyone should make a pilgrimage to Auschwitz i think. Visited it a couple of years ago and had a profound spiritual experience, experiencing a great Divine sorrow but, also, great Divine warmth and hope, there. Visiting Kolbe’s cell there was all part of the overall experience. And actually visiting the place, makes the experience about 10 times more powerful than any film or book can.
Also, advise people to read Schindler’s Ark (the book version of Schindler’s List). Helps to serve as an antidote to the evil memory of Auschwitz and Krakow (nearby). You really get a sense of what it was like to be a Jew in Krakow (in fact, stay in the Jewish quarter there). I could hear the Nazis, in my mind, running and shouting down the streets, terrorizing the Jews.
Krakow is, also, where Pope John Paul II was archbishop before going on to be Pope. It’s a fascinating and beautiful medieval city, with lots to do and see, including bars, cafes and restaurants. And cheap.
Highly recommend a visit to Auschwitz and Krakow.

Kathleen you are in luck x
Ten Ten Theatre’s production of “Kolbe’s Gift” completely sold out all its 2,800 tickets three months in advance of the opening night. However, with just two weeks to go before curtain up, we are delighted to announce that an extra date has been added on Sunday 6 October at 1pm.

About this blog

Looking across the landscape of contemporary culture - at the arts, science, religion, politics, philosophy; sorting through the jumble; seeing what stands out, what unsettles, what intrigues, what connects, what sheds light. Father Stephen Wang is a Catholic priest in the Diocese of Westminster, London. He is currently Senior University Chaplain, based at Newman House Catholic Chaplaincy. [Banner photo with kind permission of Matthew Powell]

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